Possession by Laila Ali (best authors to read txt) 📕

It is looongg

..............

Later that day, as he told Haseeb came and picked her up taking her to haveli. As soon as she had entered haveli, her grandmother was already waiting for her and gave her alots of kisses and hugs. She met everyone, all her cousins. It was so over whelming to see them after so long but she didn't know why there was a weird hollowness in her heart. Despite, everyone being gathered around her, her eyes tried to find one specific face which wasn't present here. She was restless and she had no answers to it. 

That feeling had encompassed her heart ever since Irtaza left her. Her gut feeling was constantly alarming of something ominous to come up. It was strange. Just like now, her heart suddenly begin to beat erratically for no specific reason. She could just pray to God that everything would be fine.

The whole day, she just talked and talked with her cousins. But again, Dua's attitude kept bothering her. She was ignoring her. Zahra herself didn't make an attempt to conversate with her nor did she. 

"So Zahra, what was your life like without me?" Haseeb asked. They all were sitting in lounge. Dua, Haya, Saif and Haseeb and all the elders, except her grandfather and both her uncles. Shehryaar was in Karachi to finish the guard the batch of consignment, Irtaza had assigned to him that day.

"It must be breathtaking." Dua cut in, sarcastically replying to Haseeb. They both loved teasing each other, all the time. It was a kind of obsession for them.

"These are my thoughts when I think you'll be leaving this house some day"

"I bet you'll cry like... like a monkey, Haseeb"

"Wtf? You don't even know how to relate! Really...monkey Dua" he laughed.

"Yeah because you look like a monkey." Dua retorted.

"And you like a gorilla!"

"And you like a snake!"

"And you like a lizard!"

"And you like a big fat elephant!"

"Elephants are cute!"

"But you're not!"

"Can you both stop fighting?" Haya cut in, stopping there meaningless fight.

"Ask him!"

"No ask her!"

"Ask him haya!"

"Ask her haya!"

"You both shh!" Saif cut in. He was Haseeb's elder brother and it was a rule in haveli not even a single voice infront of elders so they both shut at that.

"Thank god you saved me from Haseeb, Saif bhai" Dua murmured.

Haseeb eyes widened in disbelief.

"Look at her Saif! Look! She is still teasing me. Ask her to stop!"

"Haw! I didn't say anything, you liar!"

"You liar!"

"You!"

"No you!"

"You! You! You!"

"These both can just be controlled by only Irtaza bhai" Saif muttered to himself, sighing. They are grown up but still would never stop to behave like childs and pull each other legs.

"You both lads stop before I call Irtaza bhai or Shehryaar bhai. Got me?" Saif said with a stern tone. He knew it would kind of cease there bickering.

"What?!" Dua asked in surprise.

"Yes, I will."

"Ok. Hands backed man. Bro why you getting so serious? Calling him over this petty issue is nonsense." Haseeb said to him.

"You both don't cease until somehow his name has to pop up. So stoppp! I beg" Saif replied.

"Ok ok saif. What's happening to you? Lol. You're being so emotional over here" haseeb told him in a jolly tone.

"So Zahra, life indeed must be horrible without me. Right?" he asked her again, the same question.

"Ohoo, Haseeb. Is that even a question to ask? Zahra tell me, have you settled there na?" Asma aunty asked her.

"Yes" she nooded. "I have"

"Does Irtaza take good care of you?" Her grandmother asked.

"Yes, he does" she smiled.

"I hope you didn't face any problem in settling there?" Ammara questioned.

"Initially. But then I got settled."

"Why didn't you visited us, Zahra?" Asma asked.

"I'm sorry. I couldn't find time. I was busy with my university."

"Look, how weak she looks Asma. She'll be just resting and eating from now on" Her grandmother said to Asma.

"Zahra, is there any good news?" her grandmother asked directly and didn't even realize, everyone was sitting there!

Zahra's face flushed at that and silence suddenly filled the whole place. Saif, Haseeb, Dua and Haya tried there best to control their laughs, while Alizey looked at them with curiosity and Asma and Ammara who were sitting there, looked at there mother in law with disbelief.

"Tell me, daughter" she said softly.

Her face was now turning red like a tomato.

'Why asking this question infront of everyone, Dadi?'

"What good news, Dadi?" Alizey asked.

"Nothing Alizey. Shh" she said to her, on that Alizey pouted her face. 

"What good news, Zahra api?" Alizey asked Zahra now, who was sitting beside her.

"Nothing Alizey" she replied in a hushed tone

"Zahra, tell me daughter. Should I start sewing clothes for my little one?"

At this, she remained silent. It was embarassing.

"Zah-" she continued when Zahra cut in.

"No Dadi" she finally managed to answer in her small voice. She remembered, she had taken the contraceptive pill that day. So she couldn't be pregnant.

A sad expression loomed on her grandmother's face.

"Ok daughter. Best of luck. But I want to hold my grand childrens in my hand, very soon." she said and Zahra casted her eyes down. She could bet, her face would have been taking up the brightest shade of red.

'Ok Dadi' her inner self replied in a small sarcastic tone.

With that the atmosphere reverbrated with Asr's azaan and everyone dispersed away to pray.

Zahra went to her old room, where she used to live. As she entered, everything was at its place. Nothing was changed but she came back as a changed person. An entirely changed person.